


A Birthday Surprise

by PalestAzure



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor, Interracial Relationship, Sexy Times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:20:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26645905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PalestAzure/pseuds/PalestAzure
Summary: Ethan isn’t one to celebrate his birthday, but Zyra has something special planned for him—a little something of this, a little something of that, and a little something of the unexpected.
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15





	A Birthday Surprise

Zyra didn’t want to surprise him at work. If there was one thing she knew best about Ethan Ramsey, it was that he did not like being the center of attention at Edenbrook, especially when he was on the clock. He found the attention would take away from the priorities of his patients, and they were the ones who deserved the attention. 

Even if it was his birthday.

Another thing that came along with Ethan’s lack of seeking attention was that he didn’t even bother to tell anyone he had turned 38. He didn’t even remind Zyra, but she never forgot the important things when it came to the people she cared about, like her friends. But Ethan wasn’t just her friend. He was so much more than that, and she wanted to show him how much she cared about him for his special day. 

She had asked Sienna to help her with his present. It was a German chocolate cake with a creamy coconut pecan filling. Zyra wanted to go all out and opted for a three-layer cake. They had stayed up late after their shift the night before to bake it. The rich velvety aroma wafted throughout the entire apartment and had remained throughout the next morning. It was the first thing she woke up to, a reminder of the anticipation of celebrating Ethan’s birthday with him for the very first time. And this first time was special because it was also the first birthday with him as a couple. She wanted it to also be extra romantic. 

Zyra went the entire day without a single word to Ethan about his birthday. They were preoccupied with more important matters at hand with a few new patients for the team. And that meant consultations, test evaluations, and lengthy discussions related to the diagnoses. Everything said between them was purely professional, but sometimes she’d look at him and he’d catch her.

“What?” he’d ask with a curious smile on his face.

“Nothing,” she’d reply and return to her task at hand. 

When she was around him, not one person wished him a happy birthday. None of the nurses. None of his colleagues. Not even Naveen. Perhaps Ethan was told in private so that the news wouldn’t travel through the hospital grapevine. Or maybe not many people actually knew it was his birthday. She fought against her need to do it herself because what she had planned would be worth the wait.

Nothing that day could dim the glow from her face. Cranky patients? Nope. Geysers out of stock in the vending machine? Nope. The dry meat in her hamburger from the cafeteria? Nope. Running into Declan? Nope. 

By the time Zyra’s shift was over, Ethan was already long gone. She wondered if he was trying to escape. She wasn’t sure what he had experienced while she was off doing her other resident obligations. But if something did happen, he hid it well. That’s Ethan. Always all business, leaving pleasure to later. And Zyra had strong intentions to pleasure him. 

She returned home to change into something, which she hid under her clothes. As she took the cake out from the refrigerator, she texted Ethan.

**ZYRA LEWIS: Where u at?**

**ETHAN RAMSEY: Are you asking about my current whereabouts?**

**ZYRA LEWIS: Obviously**

**ETHAN RAMSEY: 😒**

**ZYRA LEWIS: Are you seriously side-eyeing me right now?**

**ETHAN RAMSEY: That was the intention.**

**ZYRA LEWIS: Someone sounds a little grumpy. How about I come and make you feel better? 😘**

**ETHAN RAMSEY:** 😳 

**ZYRA LEWIS: Is that a yes?**

**ETHAN RAMSEY: I’m at home.**

Zyra called a car and made it to Ethan’s in fifteen minutes. She carefully held the cake container. Sienna was a lifesaver. She had baking materials for everything. Zyra didn’t have to haul a plate covered with aluminum foil, which would have increased the chances of the cake never making it to Ethan in one piece or at all. 

She knocked on the door in a melodic rhythm, mirroring the joy in her heart. Once the door opened, the smile she already had waiting to share with Ethan grew wider across her face. 

“Happy birthday!” she exclaimed while holding out the container towards him. 

Ethan’s gaze flitted between her and the container. She noticed his cheeks flush with the redness migrating towards his ears. He finally chuckled, taking the container and letting her inside. 

“What’s this?” he asked.

The container was opaque, so there wasn’t a good view of the contents inside.

“The one thing most people get on their birthdays.” 

She raised herself on her toes and kissed his cheek. Then she discarded her jacket and headed to the kitchen. Ethan followed her and placed the container on the kitchen island. Zyra pulled out a couple of plates and forks as if she lived there. She went to stand beside him and placed the items down. 

“Go ahead and open it. I made it myself.” She looked up at him with adoration and saw how he returned the sentiment with the jewel-like glimmer in his eyes. 

“Wow, Zyra,” he began after removing the lid, “you didn’t have to go through the trouble.”

“Yes I did. And it wasn’t any trouble. Sienna helped me.”

Ethan didn’t respond. His quietness with the contemplative look on his face told her that something in his mind was turning. 

“Ethan, when was the last time you celebrated your birthday?”

He shrugged. “Dad usually calls me. That’s pretty much it. I honestly don’t care for my birthday. Most people don’t know about it. And I didn’t think much about it today.”

“But you deserve to feel special at the very least on your own birthday.” She placed her hand on his back. When she touched him, she hadn’t realized how tense his muscles were, but they finally relaxed under her touch.

He reached behind him and gripped her hand, bringing it in front of him and holding it against his chest. He leaned down, his lips hovering over hers. Zyra could feel the air warming between them. “Well, it’s not too difficult when you’re around,” he whispered in a deep, husky tone that sent a slight shiver down her spine. Their lips met and he kissed her slowly but without any hint of hesitation. She lost track of time and the sense of her surroundings. When they finally stopped, she had to catch her breath while his own gently beat against her, warming her already flushed face. 

“Well, shall we?” Zyra motioned towards the cake. 

“As long as there’s no Happy Birthday song.” 

“Oh, you know there is.” She nudged him playfully with her shoulder.

After Zyra’s off-key rendition of _Happy Birthday_ , which nearly brought Ethan to tears from laughter, they both dug into the cake and complemented it with more laughter, intimate conversations, and kisses in-between bites. Even if Ethan was adamant about not celebrating his birthday, she knew that he was enjoying himself with her. That brought her an intense feeling of happiness.

They devoured half of the cake. But Zyra had another gift for her birthday boy. 

When the dishes were cleaned, Zyra told Ethan to meet her in the bedroom in five minutes. She winked at him with a mischievous smile as she walked away to his bedroom. She went into his master bath and closed the door behind her. She quickly took off her clothes and checked herself in the mirror. She turned from side to side to adjust the lingerie she spent half a day searching for at Victoria’s Secrets. 

It was a simple champagne, lace teddy with a dramatic plunge neckline. It was tied up around the neck leaving her entire back bare. There was a triangular pattern of lace across her lower back. It transitioned into a thong that left her ass cheeks out in the open. Zyra ran her hands across her waist along the jewel embellishment that gave the teddy a sophistication to its already sexy appearance. 

She heard Ethan call out to her from the bedroom. Her pulse was racing because she had never done anything like this before: Spending $100 on a piece of lingerie to seduce her boyfriend on his birthday. With how the color beautifully contrasted against her darker skin tone and how the design enhanced all of her curves in the right places, she knew it was going to be worth it. 

She took one more glance in the mirror at herself and took a deep breath before she opened the door. Ethan was sitting on the edge of the bed facing the bathroom door. But his jaw dropped open as his widened eyes locked onto her and traveled across her body. 

Zyra posed against the doorframe. “Like what you see?”

“ _Fuck, Zyra_ ,” he muttered under his breath as if he were cursing to himself. 

She sauntered up to him, emphasizing the swaying of her hips, and then straddled him with slow movements to increase her seduction. She felt him grow against her and saw how his pupils grew three times larger. His hands roamed along her thighs, up her sides, across her back, and ended on her ass as he cupped and squeezed her cheeks. 

“God, you feel amazing,” he said, nearly growling.

“It’s all for you. _I’m all yours._ ” 

“If this is how I get to spend my birthdays from now on, I might have to change my opinion on them.” Ethan began leaving soft kisses against the exposed skin between her breasts. 

“Mmmm. I’m always happy to help convince you on the matter.” Zyra gripped the back of his head, her fingers tenderly raking through his hair. She held him against her as she slowly moved her hips, rubbing herself against the erection constrained against his jeans. There was no rush from either of them. They were savoring each other with their slow, sensual movements, currently relishing in the simple but powerfully electrifying touches.

She felt Ethan’s lips stall against her skin. His forehead fell against her chest, and she heard a long, drawn out moan. She loved the sounds he made when he was responding to her. 

That’s what she thought anyway. 

Soon Ethan gently pushed her off him. She didn’t have time to even realize what had just happened. All she was aware of was that she fell onto her side on top of the bed. By the time her eyes focused, she saw the shadow of Ethan disappear into the bathroom followed by a loud and violent retching noise.

A jolt of worry pushed her off the bed. She ran towards the bathroom and saw Ethan bent over the toilet. She dropped to her knees next to him and rubbed his back as he continued vomiting. She sat there with him until he finished emptying the entire contents of his stomach. She then helped him to the bed. 

There were no signs that he was ill. Weird, she thought. He also only had two glasses of scotch.

She returned to the bathroom to grab a washcloth and wet it. Her phone was on the counter with her clothes. It pinged with a text notification from Sienna.

**SIENNA TRINH: 911!! 911!! Don’t eat the cake! The eggs were expired!**

Zyra stared at the text dumbfounded. This couldn’t be true. So much for a special first birthday with the man who would probably never trust her with his birthday again. 

When Zyra returned to Ethan, she gently patted his face with the wet cloth. He stared back at her with a half-open glassy gaze.

“So I have good news and bad news.”

“ _Oh?_ ”

“The good news is I know what’s wrong. The bad news is you most likely got food poisoning from the cake. Expired eggs.” She gave him an apologetic smile.

Ethan gave a weak chuckle. “If I’m going to spend my next birthday with you, you’re officially off cake duty.”

“I’m so sorry.” Zyra peppered his face with kisses. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

“I have one idea.” His finger hooked underneath the side hem of her lingerie, as the edges of his lips curled up. But the playfulness on his face vanished as quickly as it had appeared. His complexion was now ghostly white, and his finger slipped with his hand falling to the bed. He let out a pained groan. 

Zyra placed the washcloth on his forehead. All she could do was watch him for a while before she decided to get up to get some water. 

“Let’s try to slowly get some fluids into you, okay? I’ll be back with some water.” 

Once she stood up, she felt her stomach churning. She clasped a hand over her mouth and ran to the bathroom right in time to follow in Ethan’s footsteps. Because she was so attentive to Ethan, she’d forgotten that she’d eaten the cake too. It was only a matter of time. 

Feeling spent, she rested her cheek against the toilet seat, after her body told her _okay, that’s enough for now_. She soon felt Ethan’s hands grip her arms and help her to her feet. His grip was weaker than usual, but was still strong enough to support her as he guided her to the bed. He collapsed beside her.

They spent the night taking turns in the bathroom, taking sips of water, and resting next to each other in bed. They were both a sweaty mess, but it wasn’t due to what Zyra had planned.

“I’m sorry for ruining your birthday,” Zyra said as her hand found his under the covers. “We’re probably going to have to miss work too for a couple of days.”

Ethan snuggled up closer to her. “I’m officially never having you over for my birthday ever again, including all major holidays.”

“Liar,” she stated, while feeling terribly sick and disgusting but also terribly happy and in love.


End file.
